I’d just like to add my thanks to that oft overlooked Saints combo…the Porridge and Stripey Bowl Combo…where would we be without them. 
Agree with your summary except for one bit.
we haven’t found a high-scoring striker for not too much money, who’ll play for what we pay
Didn’t we sign one in January for £4m. If he stays fit he’ll be fighting for the golden boot at the end of the season. I am that optimistic 
Edit: Sorry this should have been a reply to Fowllyd’s earlier post.
I have now looked up the odds, Austin is 150/1 on betfair exchange, was 170/1 but i took all the available. Redmond is 230/1 and Long is 430/1. For those that really want to be sure of never winning, you can take Pelle at 610/1(or Long).
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Any forum prizes for getting your face in a photo on the official Saints Twitter today?..
How many people did you have to elbow out of your way for that then?
Just a couple of ill kids and and old lady in a wheelchair.
Funnily enough I only just made it into the corner, a little bit like Austin’s winner.
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Premier League - We are not playing egg chasing!
Oh and I wore my red and white boxers and sock combo for the first home game this season. Now I must remember them. It only works for home games.
Used to be my Mr Happy boxers, bug they had to go at the end of the 2003/4 season. The support had gone and the exlastic in the waist band. It took me quite a few years but these red and white 2013/14 season seem to be doing the trick.
Must try and find an away combo!
Maybe Barry is watching this which is why he is at odds to the rest of us
On the subject of Redmond.
As a case for the defence, may I take you back a couple of years to the other place and the many Sadio Mane is krap threads.
IMHO Redmond is a more complete player at this stage of his Saints career than Sadio was at the start of his. All he is missing is calmness, and it remains to be seen whether he actually has the pace of Mane of course (unlikely IMHO)
Another current favourite of the fans - Tadic - was very much the same until the middle of last season when he finally “gained some composure”.
We’ll tear a few new assholes this year. My main worry is Jose, he seems to only be playing at 95% at the moment which is noticable when VVD is playing at 150% every week.
Think we may notice that against Palace when VVD is probably rotated
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Do people think the Premier League is a good standard? Our English players are crap for starters and this reflects in a consistantly crap national side, the League is at its weakest in years and has any one else noticed it has gone from the best League to the most entertaining League by the media and all their cohorts?
Bazza’s solutions
Safe standing for any club that wants it.
A minimum of English born players under the age of 25. (3)
A minimum of academy players. (3)
A wage cap
No agents
A genuine stronger football union that represents the players
Club returned to ownership of the fans (51%) like they do in the Bundesliga
Clubs can not spend more than they earn unless its proven its for the long term benefit of the club
New thread with one of your catchy titles maybe Bazza?
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It was my first match of the season as there have been two family weddings coinciding with the previous 2 home league games. I thought we played well, but seem to be struggling for fluidity and confidence up front, apart from Austin, who was excellent.
On the subject of Redmond, he is a frustrating player. He had enough of the ball yesterday, but seemed to do very little with it. Particularly in the first half, 90% of his work was receiving the ball with his back to goal and then staying with his back to goal. He often took the momentum out of an attack and doesn’t provide the movement in and around the box that gives an option. He doesn’t work the channels or that bit of the goal area around the striker, like Mane did so effectively. He has pace, but little ability to go past a player and his finishing need a lot of work. He has potential, but needs to be more confident taking on players and working openings around the goal. With Long as a lone striker, he will struggle against taller defenders in a straight aerial duel, so floaty crosses are ineffective. Redmond seemed to be preoccupied with getting the ball and waiting for Cedric or Tadic to arrive for a cross, whilst staying in the same position as when he laid the ball off. He was much more effective when he was positive, so hopefully it’s just a confidence thing and he can start using the ball more threateningly.
While Redmond couldn’t even find his banjo yesterday, it is natural to compare him to the brilliant March/April Mane as that will be his lasting memory.
I’m still trying to get over the three months every season when Mane looked worse than Redmond.
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I though Mane was very good for 18 months of the 2 years he was here. Not all of what he tried came off, but he was a threat and his play offered opportunities for the other strikers even if it was just creating space.
Redmond has only played a few times, granted, but for me he needs to add to his game what Mane had as a natural inclination. If he’s too hesitant he won’t prosper.
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You will have to get very close!!
Where we are is what happens when you sell two of your top scorers and the replacements (a) are coming from within the squad, but are returning from injuries; and (b) are new midfielders / wide players who you are counting on to push forward and add 7-8 goals each, one of whom is adjusting to his new position and the other has yet to play at all. It will come good
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I think our new project is doing alright - look at Stoke and West Ham’s rebuilds…things could be worse.
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You idiot RB, we’re playing West Ham next weekend, on the box too, you’ve gone and ruined it now haven’t you.
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My boss is a West Ham fan and today I hope he and Bilic have seen us play the same amount. The boss: “We actually outplayed WBA completely, but threw it away again. Sooner or later we are going to thrash someone, but Southampton are a good team of course, so I think we will try to shut down the chances and defend much better, so as not to concede 4. We cant afford to offer you the same chances”
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Did I just hear Danny Murphy say that Redmond was Man of the Match, by some distance? 
The distance between the crossbar and row FF perhaps?
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